1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to a method of comminuting and then tableting a tacky substance, such as a chewing gum base, in order to form a compact body.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior known methods of compacting tacky substances, including solids and viscous liquids not directly tabletable because of their tackiness, require special preparation to allow pulverizing or comminuting the tacky substance. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,290,120, which issued July 14, 1942, discloses the preparation of a chewing gum product requiring refrigeration or freezing of the chewing gum base in order to render it relatively rigid to permit comminution to particles of a desired size. This pulverization step can also be accomplished by introducing hydrolyzable components into polymer chains and then hydrolyzing to cause disintegration of the large molecules.
However, none of the prior known methods is well-adapted to convenient or economical mass production of compacted products.